Updated February 1: article originally posted January 31.
Following an impressive reveal and popular pre-order window, Samsung’s Galaxy S24 smartphones go on sale to the public today. And for those choosing Samsung’s vision of smartphones, there are some tempting offers of free and discounted hardware alongside the new phones.
The offers are not as wide-ranging as those in the pre-order window, which shouldn’t be too surprising. The chance to bump up the onboard storage to the next tier was always going to be the most attractive offer, and hard to beat now the South Korean company is in full retail mode.
Pre-orders tend to favor those buying their handsets SIM-free. I’d expect the majority of S24 sales to go through mobile carriers, which have a wide window of discounts they can offer thanks to the two-year-long contracts signed by consumers, allowing the financial impact of any offer to be spread over the 24 months of the contract.
Here in the U.K., Samsung has an offer on top of any network or carrier offer. It has a free bundle of Galaxy Buds2Pro and SmartTag 2 for anyone who purchases a Galaxy S24, S24+ or S24 Ultra from a wide range of networks and retailers during February. These need to be claimed from Samsung within 30 days of purchase.
Ordering directly from Samsung U.K. opens up another tier of offers. Those purchasing either the Galaxy S24 or Galaxy S24+ will receive a 5% discount on their first purchase over £500 in the Samsung Shop App; and a 30% discount on both the Galaxy Watch6 Classic and two years of Samsung Care+. Finally, there’s a 12-month subscription to the Disney+ streaming service.
You also have exclusive online colors; Sapphire Blue, Jade Green and Sandstone Orange for The S24 and S24+, and Titanium Blue, Titanium Green, or Titanium Orange for the Galaxy S24 Ultra. I think Samsung would like you to know that the Galaxy S24 Ultra uses titanium as a material.
As we saw with the pre-orders, the offers have regional variations. Those buying the S24 Ultra handsets in the U.S. can pick up discounts on the Galaxy Buds2 Pro, Galaxy Watch6 and Galaxy Watch6 Classic. At the same time, Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24+ owners have discount offers for the Galaxy Buds FE, Watch6 and Waatch6 Classic. Check your local listings for details, and remember that network pricing and offers may vary.
Update: Thursday February 1: US customers have a wide range of offers outside of Samsung’s main website. The major carriers, with the benefit of a multi-year contract commitment from each purchase, are leaning into trade-in options; those happy to switch out an older handset to get the latest Galaxy model can find discounts up to $1,000 which is split over the intial handset price and to reduce the monthly cost over the life of the contract.
Meanwhile, larger retail chains such as Amazon are going in the other direction, with gift cards up to $200. Best Buy has paired up the gift card option (currently $150) with trade-ins up to $750.
It’s likely that these deals will be available during the month after launch, but do check what’s on offer before you head to the checkout.
Outside of the offers, the U.S. prices for SIM-free handsets—broadly indicative of other regions, are as follows;
- Galaxy S24; with 128 GB storage, $799; with 256 GB storage, $859.
- Galaxy S24+; with 256 GB storage, $999; with 512 GB storage, $1,199
- Galaxy S24 Ultra; with 256 GB storage, $1,299; with 512 GB storage, $1,419 with 1 TB of storage, $1,659.
Samsung’s aggressive offers worldwide should boost sales of the Galaxy S24 family while the company has a short window of advantage. By bringing the launch date forward from the traditional mid-February slot ahead of Mobile World Congress, Samsung has not only a clear run with press coverage, but pre-orders and sales lock people into the handset and ecosystem for the next year or two before MWC highlights countless other premium smartphones.
The Galaxy S24 launch is also comfortably clear of the Apple iPhone. The community that always buys iPhones will have made their purchases now, leaving a pool of less committed users to Apple’s vision. Samsung is facing an audience who want a reason to buy. The latest offers are making the Galaxy offer as tempting as possible.
Now read the first impressions of the Galaxy S24 Ultra, here on Forbes…
Alex Mitchell is your go-to expert for all things mobile. With a passion for the latest smartphones, apps, and mobile innovations, Alex provides in-depth reviews, insightful analyses, and breaking news about the ever-evolving world of mobile technology. Stay connected with Alex to navigate the fast-paced realm of mobile devices.
